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If you spot a rash like this on your baby's skin, rush to the doctor as soon as you can

As a parent, it's important to be on top of everything to keep our children safe and healthy.

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Jersey Evening Post

Be aware of signs and symptoms of Lyme or tick-bite disease

By Kayla Dalsfoist

March 25, 2016

As the weather warms up and children spend more time playing outside, parents most likely have a routine of applying generous amounts of sunblock to their skin to prevent sunburns. However, it's equally important to check your child after a day outdoors because of a difficult-to-diagnose disease.

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Lyme disease is a serious illness which is transmitted through bites from black-legged ticks that have been infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms vary widely on a case-to-case basis, but the easiest to identify and most prevalent is the erythema migrans (EM) rash — more commonly known as a "bull's-eye" rash — that appears in about 70 to 80 percent of infected individuals.

It's fairly common for these bites to be misdiagnosed as spider or mosquito bites, but there are other signs that can indicate whether or not someone has been infected with Lyme disease. The CDC lists other common early symptoms as fever, headache, fatigue, chills, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes.

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Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but early detection is key, the CDC notes. There are precautionary measures you can take — such as using an insect repellent or removing ticks immediately — but the risk of contracting Lyme disease may still persist. If your children are experiencing any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to visit your doctor.